Psychic Detective (video game)
A psychic detective navigates branching storylines in an interactive movie.
Psychic Detective is an interactive movie video game released in 1995 for MS-DOS and later converted to PlayStation and 3DO. It was written by Michael Kaplan and directed by John Sanborn.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Colossal Pictures; Electronic Arts
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts Studios
- Producer
- Don Howe; Sally Bentley
- Designer
- Jim Simmons
- Michael Kaplan
- John Sanborn
- Writer
- Michael Kaplan
- Composer
- Patrick Gleeson
- Genre
- Interactive movie
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The game is presented in first person except during cut scenes, with icons appearing on screen for interactable people and objects. Each playthrough lasts about 45 minutes, but multiple plays are needed to see all storylines, and there are a dozen alternate endings. The endgame shifts to a surreal board game against the villain.
Plot
Set in San Francisco, the player is Eric Fox, a psychic who performs magic in a nightclub. He is approached by Laina Pozok, who trains him to hitchhike into people's minds, seeing and hearing what they do while his body acts on autopilot. She hires him to attend her father's wake, where he can choose to remain in his body or hitchhike into other characters. He can also take psychic readings from objects. Eric becomes involved in a conspiracy involving a religious cult, spies, and family intrigue, while developing romantic feelings for Laina. Psychic collectors amplify his abilities but come at a cost.
Development
Producer Jim Simmons originated the idea for Psychic Detective, a project that required a team of nearly 200 people. This group included 21 developers from EA Studios, an 80-person film crew, and 95 actors. Colossal Pictures managed the live-action filming, which took place across twenty days over about six weeks in San Francisco and Oakland, California. The entire development spanned more than two years: three months for brainstorming, six months for writing, and a full year for editing and programming. The video segments were cut using Adobe Premiere and assembled with a proprietary Electronic Arts tool.
Reception
The game received mixed reviews. Computer Gaming World gave it 4 stars. GameSpot rated the PC version 4.7, calling it innovative but noting the many interaction and storyline branches made it confusing. GamePro gave the 3DO version a positive review, praising the engaging challenge and sharp full-motion video. Reviewing the PlayStation version in Maximum, David Hodgson scored it 2 out of 5, arguing full-motion video games are not worth playing. GamePro warned it is for older players but praised the murder mystery, clean video, and sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for Psychic Detective (video game)?
The music for Psychic Detective was composed by Patrick Gleeson.
Is Psychic Detective (video game) single-player or multiplayer?
Psychic Detective offers single-player play.
More in PlayStation Game Library of the 1990s
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